When a family member gets sucked in to a MLM

Spaightlabs

Legume said:

This is crack for stay at home moms.  Turns Starbucks and hanging out into “working” opportunities.  Positive, motivational messaging, good, well-researched products to improve your quality of life and discounts!

I was involved in something similar in college.

I found that cocaine and amphetamines were like crack for frat boys and sorority girls.  It turned partying and hanging out into sales opportunities.  My product was well researched and improved the quality of lives, but only temporarily.  I established a good down line and my down line established good downlines., increasing my sales twenty-fold quickly.

I realized it was time to have a going out of business sale when about 6 weeks into a semester 2 new 'students' showed up in a 12 student grad level course and began aggressively seeking to purchase large quantities of product.

Sea2Ski

DoubleEgger said:

If she starts talking about “essential” oils, run! 

The D.I.L sells those.
Snake oil.
But she is making a killing because she got in years ago, stuck with it, got a few others who were passionate and they became the workers etc.. Now she is near the top of "her" pyramid. I think she is somewhere near 100K this year. Knowing their situation and what they have, I believe it.
Insane.
I do not support it.
I do not believe in them.
I think it is a scam.
We have had "discussions" about it, and they have ended by agreeing to disagree.
But I can not deny that she is making a lot of money for the amount of effort put in.

I can not help but believe that the bottom will fall out one day. Honestly, I am surprised it already hasn't.  ....like months and months ago.

lousubcap

As long as you can attract the bottom-feeder recruits you can survive and advance.  But I agree, the pond runs dry after a while.  @Sea2Ski As P.T. Barnum is alleged to have said, "There is a sucker born every minute."  Who knows...

frazzdaddy

Amway

Legume

frazzdaddy said:

Amway

As I recall, Amway just sold soap and household cleaning goods when they started, and for years after.  Not sure what they do now, but I don’t think it used to be a scam, they just developed a different sales and distribution, like Avon or MaryKay did when they copied the model.  Selling snake oil is a whole different ballgame.

GATraveller

Seems every housewife outside the perimeter here in Atlanta is peddling Rodan & Fields makeup or Essential Oils. 

JohnInCarolina

I think there are a couple of indicators of a scam:

1) products are way overpriced compared to what you can buy elsewhere;
2) products are of questionable value all by themselves;
3) company is run by people who used to run other scams.

I’m sure there are more, but those to me are some of the obvious red flags.

Ozzie_Isaac

theyolksonyou

https://timeshareexitteam.com/

blasting

When approached, I find it best to mock relentlessly.  This greatly reduces future pressure to join up.

bgebrent

Is there still time to get in on the 30% off?

g8golfer

bgebrent said:

Is there still time to get in on the 30% off?

  

JohnInCarolina

blasting said:

When approached, I find it best to mock relentlessly.  This greatly reduces future pressure to join up.

This is generally my approach as well, but I would like to remain on speaking terms with my brother.

Legume

Pruvit didn’t even make the top 15 most hated from this journalistic heavyweight.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/the-15-most-hated-multi-level-marketing-companies-right-now.html/

JohnInCarolina

Legume said:

Pruvit didn’t even make the top 15 most hated from this journalistic heavyweight.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/the-15-most-hated-multi-level-marketing-companies-right-now.html/

You’ve got to admire some of the names.  I mean, who wouldn’t buy a product called “It Works!” ?

cookingdude555

I got sucked into a MLM once. Now I have six big green eggs. 

JohnInCarolina

cookingdude555 said:

I got sucked into a MLM once. Now I have six big green eggs. 

Yeah, but how many have you sold?  I’m up to four of those myself.

cookingdude555

JohnInCarolina said:

cookingdude555 said:

I got sucked into a MLM once. Now I have six big green eggs. 

Yeah, but how many have you sold?  I’m up to four of those myself.

Lol, only 3. But they were three of my own. Most of my friends are part of the pellet cooker MLM.  

U_tarded

cookingdude555 said:

JohnInCarolina said:

cookingdude555 said:

I got sucked into a MLM once. Now I have six big green eggs. 

Yeah, but how many have you sold?  I’m up to four of those myself.

Lol, only 3. But they were three of my own. Most of my friends are part of the pellet cooker MLM.  

It’s because they sell them at Costco, we know Utahns love buying in bulk. 

MaskedMarvel

We did Isogenix for a while. Then they started sending shake mix without asking. Then they started sending shake mix after asking not to send anymore. 

Then we tried to cancel our “membership” altogether. 

And they sent again. And charged the card again. 

Finally got someone on the phone and wouldn't hang up until I very angrily stopped the shakes. 

Jesus. So many shakes ....  still drinking shakes..

......

anyone want some shakes???

Ozzie_Isaac

Anybody interested in getting in on the ground floor of an opportunity? 3'x5' Trump flags from China.  $0.50/unit.  We can sell them easily for $10/unit.



https://m.alibaba.com/product/60784052502/Trump-2020-President-Keep-America-Great.html?spm=a2706.7843299.1998817009.15.591b364bptL3tI

Legume

I think everyone down here already has them John.

Gulfcoastguy

MaskedMarvel said:

We did Isogenix for a while. Then they started sending shake mix without asking. Then they started sending shake mix after asking not to send anymore. 

Then we tried to cancel our “membership” altogether. 

And they sent again. And charged the card again. 

Finally got someone on the phone and wouldn't hang up until I very angrily stopped the shakes. 

Jesus. So many shakes ....  still drinking shakes..

......

anyone want some shakes???

Sometimes it's best to "lose" the credit card and get a new one with a new number. Sure cuts down on those auto charges. I misplaced the wallet in a pile of laundry back around July this year. Not all accounts got the new number.

Judy Mayberry

@MaskedMarvel: I had one of those companies who wouldn't stop sending, so I called my credit card company and that took care of EVERYTHING.

MaskedMarvel

Our problem wasn’t with the person we signed up though. Not the actual PRODUCT. Just — DAMN — the sheer volume they tried to force on you was immense. 

thetrim

Hmmm, all this time I figured @JohnInCarolina was a double black diamond for Roccboxx

JohnInCarolina

thetrim said:

Hmmm, all this time I figured @JohnInCarolina was a double black diamond for Roccboxx

Shhhh!   Shush it!!!

frazzdaddy

Legume said:

frazzdaddy said:

Amway

As I recall, Amway just sold soap and household cleaning goods when they started, and for years after.  Not sure what they do now, but I don’t think it used to be a scam, they just developed a different sales and distribution, like Avon or MaryKay did when they copied the model.  Selling snake oil is a whole different ballgame.

They were one of the original MLM's, branched out to selling much more in the mid 70's. Products were overpriced and of questionable quality in my opinion. Only the upper echelons of the pyramid made money. Not sure if they are around anymore but you don;t seem to hear about them.

stlcharcoal

Anybody ever here of Team National?  I've got someone trying to get me into that.  Seems sketchy, as it's very heavy on signing up new people.....not the discounts.  

johnkitchens

frazzdaddy said:

Legume said:

frazzdaddy said:

Amway

As I recall, Amway just sold soap and household cleaning goods when they started, and for years after.  Not sure what they do now, but I don’t think it used to be a scam, they just developed a different sales and distribution, like Avon or MaryKay did when they copied the model.  Selling snake oil is a whole different ballgame.

They were one of the original MLM's, branched out to selling much more in the mid 70's. Products were overpriced and of questionable quality in my opinion. Only the upper echelons of the pyramid made money. Not sure if they are around anymore but you don;t seem to hear about them.

When I was a kid the Amway craze hit our community. Almost everywhere you went in town, grocery store, hardware store, gas station, etc. someone was wanting to talk to you about joining up and pimping their products. 

Very annoying.